Bo Xilai Trial Wraps Up Fourth Day

Chinese court officials say the corruption trial of former Politburo member Bo Xilai has been adjourned for the day, after the fallen official tried to discredit the testimony of his former police chief.

Bo told the court Sunday that former police chief Wang Lijun had lied when he testified Saturday that Bo had tried to cover up his wife's involvement in the 2011 murder of a British businessman.

In Friday's session, Bo dismissed testimony from his wife that implicated him in wrongdoing, calling her insane, and describing her testimony as "laughable."

With the trial in Jinan closed to Western reporters, Bo's comments have been taken from state media reports and lengthy trial transcripts posted on Chinese social media.

Bo was removed as party secretary of Chongqing and ousted from the Politburo last year, after that city's former police chief fled to a U.S. consulate with evidence about the Bo family's alleged involvement in a murder.

Sunday's session was adjourned before noon. The trial will resume on Monday

Prosecutors say Briton Neil Heywood was killed as a result of a financial dispute with Bo's wife, who was convicted of the murder last year and given a suspended death sentence, essentially a life term in prison.

Bo also faces additional charges of embezzling $800,000 in government money set aside for a construction project.

Analysts say China's top political leaders almost certainly decided beforehand that Bo would be found guilty and receive a lengthy prison sentence, as in other sensitive political trials in China.

State broadcaster CCTV originally reported that the trial would last only two days and that a verdict is expected in early September.